The Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14
“In the evidence of the pronouncements that God has made and those that have come to fruition, we can rest in confidence and faith that those not yet accomplished will also come into being. With the Advent of Christ we are given proof of the greatest of His promises: that He continues to care for us. He has promised to be a steady and constant guiding hand in our lives, has promised to provide for us, and to comfort us as we abide in His Word.”
Susan Craig in The Seasons of Advent: A Personal Contemplation (Bloomington: WestBow, 2014) 2.
Christmas is a difficult time for many. It’s hard for those who have experienced loss. Perhaps a loved one was sick and they hoped God would bring physical healing. It didn’t happen. Others feel alone and overwhelmed by the weight of work or circumstances that God has set before them. Often I can relate. Like helpless souls, we call out to God and He seems silent.
Stack up the worst scenarios you can imagine and take comfort in the fact that they are no match for the Christ of Christmas! When God sent the sign of the virgin birth, He sent a message to the world: He is with us. We are not alone! We can trust in God’s providence. This gives us confidence and faith that serves as a rock-solid foundation for our generosity.
As Christmas approaches, take another look at the sign. God is with us and can be trusted with the pain or burdens we face. The sign points to the greatest gift ever provided to humanity, a Savior is born, a Deliverer from all difficulty! Our greatest act of generosity this Christmas may be to point others to the sign by generously living with confidence and faith.